Plow-hitch.



R. RUEMEL'I N.

PLOW HITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. I913.

mmww

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Fiff

WI 6777M NORRIS PITERS ca. Pnomurnm wasnmcmu. u. c.

R. HUEMELIN.

PLOW HITCH. 'APPL-lc'AT'lqn man JUNE 26. ms.

Patented Dec. 12,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IAVE/YTU)? I Emma/Maw mum WIT/M56 5E 18 RICHARDRUEIVIELIN, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESQTA, ASSIGNOR 'IO MINNEAPOLIS STEEL &MACHINERY COMPANY, .OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OFMINNESOTA.

PLOW-HITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, I916.

Application filed June 26, 1913. Serial No. 775,869.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, Riel-min) RUEMELIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements inPlow-Hitches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices designed for hitchinga gang of plows behind a traction motor so that the same may be movedwith a minimum amountof side draft thereby permitting the plows to beproperly steered so as to produce a series of furrows in proper relationto the preceding furrows.

The invention consists generally in the constructions and combinationshereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of a gang of plows and the frame upon which they arecarried with my newly invented hitch applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of same. Figs. 3 and 4 are details.

The plows to which this invention is applied are designed principallyfor plowing what is known as mesquite land in which there are manystumps that must be pulled or grnbbed out by the plows, and it isfrequently necessary in operating these plows to back them so as to freethem from roots or stumps in which they may have become embedded andthrough which they cannot be pulled. It is required. therefore, that thehitch between the plow frame and the tractor shall be of such characteras to cause the plows to be shoved backward whenever the engine isreversed and the tractor moved backward.

It is also desirable to provide adjusting means whereby a minimum amountof side draft occurs, and provide means for so controlling the steeringwheels that in turning the plows maybe caused to describe an arc of alarger circle than that described in the turning of the tractor, or maybe caused to turn directly with the tractor and describe an arc of thesame circle. Where the plows are caused to describe a larger arc thanthat described by the turning of the tractor, I designate this asdelayed or retarded turning. Where the wheels of the plow frame followthe tractor, turni g on a e of the same circle, I designate this asperfeet turning.

In the drawings, 2 represents a plow frame, of any suitableconstruction, having preferably the rear supporting wheel 8, and theforward wheels 4 and 5 which are mounted on the stub shafts 6 having theupright pins 6, and capable of turning while retaining a parallelrelation to each other.

I make no claim to the construction of the plows or the supporting frameor the arrangement of the wheels upon which said frame is mounted.furrow wheel 5 is preferably provided with a crank arm 7 and thecorresponding upright for the wheel 4 is provided with the crank arm 8,the forward end 9 of which is preferably in the form of a sector of acircle whose center is at the axis of the upright 6. Theface 9 of thearm 8 is provided with a series of pin holes 10 for the purposehereinafter specified. The arms 7 and 8 are connected by a suitable rod11. This rod, through the crank arms and the uprights 6 causes thewheels 4 and 5 to turn together and to retain a parallel relation. Tothe forward cross bar 12 of the plow frame, to the opposite ends ofwhich the brackets 13 carrying the bearings for the uprights 6 aresecured, I prefer to connect two forwardly projecting brackets 14,between which is arranged the broad flat plate forming a clevis 15. Ahorizontal pin or pintle 16 is mounted in the brackets 14 and passesthrough the rear of the clevis 15, forming a hinge upon which saidclevis may rock. The ends of the pin 16 pass through blocks 17 and alsothrough vertical slots 18 in the brackets 14. Adjusting screws 19 passthrough the blocks 17 and by means of these screws the blocks may beraised and lowered and with them the hinge pin 16 and the rear end ofthe clevis 15. The forward end of the clevis 15 is provided with aseries of holes 20, to any one of which the draw bar 21 may be connectedby a pivot pin 22.

The brackets 14 are rigidly secured to the front or face of the crossbar 12, preferably by means of the angle iron brackets 23, and for thepurpose of adding to the rigidity of the connection between the bracketsto which the clevis 15 is hinged and the plow frame, I preferablyprovide the brace rods 24 connected to the upper and lower portions ofThe upright 6 for the.

said brackets and extending back and being bolted to the top and bottomof a second cross bar 25 upon said plow frame.

To relieve the strain upon the pivot pin 16 when the tractor is quicklyor suddenly backed, as is often necessary to release the plows when theybecome caught or stuck in roots or stumps and cannot be pulled throughthem, I prefer to provide the buffers 26, which are in the formpreferably of rigid angle iron brackets, bolted on to the front of thecross bar 12, with their forwardly extending ends in close proximity tothe rear edge of the clevis 15. By this means when the tractor is backedand power is ap plied to force back the plows the rear end of the clevisabuts against the said buffers and the stress upon the pivot pin isrelieved. The draw bar 21 may be of any preferred construction.

A suitable distance in front of the clevis 15 I prefer to secure uponthe draw bar a laterally projecting arm 28, provided with a series ofholes 29. This arm projects toward the land or stubble side of themachine. This arm is preferably clamped upon the draw-bar and is capableof being adjusted longitudinally toward or from the front end of theplow frame.

I also provide a suitable connecting rod that has one end connected tothe arm 28, through one of the holes 29 of said arm. This connecting rodpreferably consists of two sections, 30, having threaded ends and unitedby a turn-buckle 31. The end of the outer section is provided with asleeve 32 in which is pivotally supported a pin 33. This pin is adaptedto engage any one of the holes 10 in the face 9 of the crank arm 8. Theconnecting rod 30 may be lengthened or shortened by adjusting theturn-buckle 31, and further adjustment may be provided by means of theholes in the arm 28 and in the face of the crank arm 8.

Operation: The parts of the hitch may be readily adjusted to secure thedesired perfect or retarded movement of the steering wheels of the plowframe in relation to the movement of the tractor. When it is desired tosecure what I have designated as the perfect turning of the plows andthe tractor, the connecting rod 30 is adjusted so that the distancebetween the hole' 29, in the arm 28, and the pin 33, securing the opposite end of the connecting rod 30 to the face 9 of the arm 8, is equalto the distance on a straight line between the upright 6 and the axis ofthe pivot pin 22. With the parts in this relation the plow frame willturn with and describe the same circle as the tractor securing what Ihave designated as perfect turning. When it is desired to secure aretarded turning, the parts are adjusted so that the connecting rod 30is shorter than the distance on a direct line between the axis of theupright l and the axis of the draw-bar pin 22. This can be accomplishedby adjusting the outer end of the connecting rod 30 in reference to theface 9 of the crank arm 8. A further adjustment may be secured byconnecting the rod 30 to one of the other holes in the arm 28. Anotheradjustment may be secured by moving the arm 28 lengthwise of thedrawbar, and a still further adjustment is obtained by shifting thedraw-bar to the right or left and connecting its pi rot pins to one oranother of the holes 20 in the clevis 1.7. When the parts are adjustedso as to secure this delayed turning the plows will continue in thegeneral direction of the line of travel after the motor has begun toturn and the plows will describe a circle of much larger radius thanthat described by the outer tractor wheels and consequently the plowswill be carried forward a greater distance than they would be if theyturned directly with the tractor.

It is also found that in many instances it is necessary to adjust thehitch or connection between the plows and the tractor so that the plowsmay tend to pull upward or to dig deeper into the soil. I regulate theposition of the plows by means of the adjusting screws 19 which permitsthe rear end of the clevis 15 to be raised or lowered as desired. Byadjusting the clevis to a lower position an upward pull on the points ofthe plows is obtained and by adjusting it to a higher position thesepoints tend to dig more deeply into the ground. It will also be seenthat in whatever position the clevis may be, whenever the tractor isbacked for the purpose of forcing backward the plows, the rear edge ofthe clevis will come into contact with the faces of the buffers 26 andthereby strain upon the pivot pin 16 will be relieved.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction herein shown anddescribed, as the same may be varied in many particulars withoutdeparting from my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a plow frame of the character described, thesteering crank arms thereof, and means connecting the same, of avertically adjustable clevis connected to the forward end of said plowframe, a laterally adjustable draw-bar connected to said clevis, anadjustable arm upon said draw-bar, a connecting rod, means adjustablyconnecting one end of said rod to said arm, and means adjustablyconnecting the other end of said rod to one of said steering crank arms,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a plow frame of the character described, andthe steering crank arms thereof, of a clevis connected to the forwardend of said plow frame, means for vertically adjusting said clevis, adrawbar connected to said clevis, means for laterally adjusting theconnection between said draw-bar and said clevis, an arm mounted uponsaid draw-bar, means for adjusting said arm lengthwise of said draw-bar,a connecting rod, means adjustably connecting one end of said rod tosaid arm and means adjustably connecting the other end of said rod toone of said steering crank arms, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a plow frame, of the character described, thesteering arms thereof, and means connecting the same, of a clevisconnected by a horizontal pivot to the forward end of said plow frame, alaterally adjustable draw-bar connected to saidclevis, an arm upon saiddraw-bar, a connecting rod, means connecting one end of said rod to saidarm, and means adjustably connecting the other end of said rod to one ofsaid steering crank arms, substantially as described. In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of June 1913.

RICHARD RUEMELIN. lVitnesses EDWARD A. PAUL, GENEVIEVE E. SoEENsEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

